7 NYC Taxi Lessons You Better Know

American tradition glamorizes these bustling yellow babies: know-it-all drivers, falling in love in the back, and winning $350 on Cash Cab. Sadly, once someone steps foot into what’s occasionally more like a yellow diaper, the perception dies. Just look at the words conjured when the word “Taxi” is heard:

With all of the negativity surrounding cabs, why do we continue to be customers? Convenience? Conversation? Cataclysmic conditions?? If you’re looking for actual adrenaline-filled activities, they’re here. But if a cab’s all you can handle, here are a few taxi lessons you need to know.

Look to the Lights: We’re going to start with the obvious. To hail a cab, you need to know which cabs are available. Now, there’s no need to whistle, hoot, holler, yell, fist-pump, jump, snap, or scream crap. Look to this chart:

Reveal your destination…after you’ve shut the door: Cabs were built for Manhattan. Wait, nobody ever said that. Although most cabs are capable to take you to Bushwick or Astoria, very few drivers oblige. Instead, they crack the window, ask for your destination, and continue driving if it’s not to their approval. This is illegal. Remember that. Rarely does it work this way. Unless the cabbie is traveling home for the night, your request from LES to Astoria will rarely be granted. It’s best to confidently hop in, and, once the cab starts rolling, reveal the location. Not much he can do after that point.

Never hail a cab at 5 p.m.: Leaving the office and ready to head home, you take to the streets to hail a cab. None. Not one. It’s barren. Finally, there’s scientific evidence backing this urban legend. The explanation is steeped in NYC taxi economics. With each cab holding two drivers a day, each working a 12-hour shift, taxi owners schedule shift changes so each shift gets a rush hour—more money for each driver. If rap’s taught us anything, it’s “Mo money, mo problems.” In recent decades, most cabbie garages relocated to outer boroughs, so, now, to switch, cabbies are driving into Long Island City for their 5 p.m. changeover, leaving fewer cabs on the road between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

A cab will never, EVER, stop in the rain: More demand, be damned, this sucks.

Never Upstream…unless you’re in a rush:

If you upstream, make sure the other party can’t see you…or you can’t feel the glares.

Taxi Drivers know the best cheap eats: Don’t fear the driver like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. Ignore the mumbling up front and confront. Know where to find the most authentic Haitian dish? Where’s the best deal on Egusi, a delicious Ghana stew? $4 curry? Your cab drivers know these hotspots. Whether you’re in search for a pre-brunch breakfast, a post-brunch lunch, or an after-work snack, cab drivers frequent these tasty, low-cost locales.

Puke in the cab and pay up to $50: Of fluids expulsed in a cab, vomit may be the worst offender—chunky, adheres to carpet, smells. In recent years, cities have begun to institute a “vomit-fee.” In NYC, some Vimbliers have conflicting reports regarding the “Standard Rate”—some say merely $20. Cabbies generally have a sixth sense for the pukers, and, after midnight, they may apply their own sobriety tests to hailers. If you puke, you pay.

Woah, man I feel dense! I always wondered why there felt like this mythical drought finding a taxi around clockin’ off time and never put two and two together. Shift change-over and location of their premises makes perfect sense…I really have to pay more attention to these things!

Woah, man I feel dense! I always wondered why there felt like this mythical drought finding a taxi around clockin’ off time and never put two and two together. Shift change-over and location of their premises makes perfect sense…I really have to pay more attention to these things!

I had a friend once who tried the ‘confident hop in’ method and the jerk actually refused to move until she got out of the car again. Destination discrimination feels like an understatement when these guys often get to act like the kings of the road.

On a side note, I totally agree with the vomit fee though, that sh*t is NASTY!

Ive hopped inside and we have gotten into a stand off. I said, ok, dont take me and I am not getting out and I dont get paid when the cab is moving so we can sit here all day until you move. Bad move on my part. The guy took me where I wanted to go at 80 mph. Moral of the story is this. If they guy doesnt want to go where you want to go, dont force him. Its much safer to get out and try plan B

Wow, I can see your point. A stand off (or ‘sit off’) like that’s totally askin’ for trouble I guess. Would definitely rather go for plan B even if I was mad with rage. God knows what could happen if you end up with the wrong cabbie on the wrong day. :/

I live in the Bronx and although I don’t have a problem hailing a cab and getting in (I am white and expensively-dressed), once I am in the cab, I sometimes get into a standoff with the cabbies – but never, ever back down. Last time it happened was in the middle of a snow storm and after waiting 15 minutes for a cab, no way was I getting out after he told me that I must not have seen his lights being off-duty. After threatening to call 311 and have him end up with a fine, he started driving me but was reckless, so I threatened to report him for that too. He FINALLY figured that it is bad idea to mess with some passengers so he got it together and I got home safely. Stand up for yourselves New Yorkers. It works.

I had a friend once who tried the ‘confident hop in’ method and the jerk actually refused to move until she got out of the car again. Destination discrimination feels like an understatement when these guys often get to act like the kings of the road.

On a side note, I totally agree with the vomit fee though, that sh*t is NASTY!

Ive hopped inside and we have gotten into a stand off. I said, ok, dont take me and I am not getting out and I dont get paid when the cab is moving so we can sit here all day until you move. Bad move on my part. The guy took me where I wanted to go at 80 mph. Moral of the story is this. If they guy doesnt want to go where you want to go, dont force him. Its much safer to get out and try plan B

Wow, I can see your point. A stand off (or ‘sit off’) like that’s totally askin’ for trouble I guess. Would definitely rather go for plan B even if I was mad with rage. God knows what could happen if you end up with the wrong cabbie on the wrong day. :/

I live in the Bronx and although I don’t have a problem hailing a cab and getting in (I am white and expensively-dressed), once I am in the cab, I sometimes get into a standoff with the cabbies – but never, ever back down. Last time it happened was in the middle of a snow storm and after waiting 15 minutes for a cab, no way was I getting out after he told me that I must not have seen his lights being off-duty. After threatening to call 311 and have him end up with a fine, he started driving me but was reckless, so I threatened to report him for that too. He FINALLY figured that it is bad idea to mess with some passengers so he got it together and I got home safely. Stand up for yourselves New Yorkers. It works.

I’m not a big fan of taxi cabs, but I can still completely agree with charging pukers! Nothing worse than having to clean up someone else’s mess like that and worse yet, you’d be the one who had to sit n enjoy the fumes for hours afterward. I’m not at all surprised some develop a sixth sense for it when sizing up their next fair & refuse to pick them up.

I’m not a big fan of taxi cabs, but I can still completely agree with charging pukers! Nothing worse than having to clean up someone else’s mess like that and worse yet, you’d be the one who had to sit n enjoy the fumes for hours afterward. I’m not at all surprised some develop a sixth sense for it when sizing up their next fair & refuse to pick them up.

Peope need to always make not of when you are turned away get the cab number and call the taxi commission right away. Some try to act thug like. the commission will punnish bad cabbies them over the more people report them. But you need to do it.

Peope need to always make not of when you are turned away get the cab number and call the taxi commission right away. Some try to act thug like. the commission will punnish bad cabbies them over the more people report them. But you need to do it.

As a cabby I never refuse anyone.Now think, how I rewarded.On 12/23/2012 I pick a passenger at 3:40pm take him to 120-53 168th Street Jamaica NY.When no one is taking him.Fare was $49.00 he pays me $9.80 as tips. Total $59.30 by credit card. Then went inside Report his card lost. And there goes my $59.30.I just robbed my money the white way. And you guys complaining why we refuse?
How you feel?

This is sad but how do you know if something like this is going to happen beforehand? So does that give you the right to arbitrarily refuse anyone? The solution to this problem is to print out a receipt and get the passengers signature on the receipt.

I needed a cab to Williamsburg at 4:30AM, and about 10 Cabs refused. I ended up splitting a cab with a friend of a friend. He paid $20 and I paid $20 on a $22 bill. Cash. So sometimes you win sometimes you lose, but ususally you get what you expect.

As a cabby I never refuse anyone.Now think, how I rewarded.On 12/23/2012 I pick a passenger at 3:40pm take him to 120-53 168th Street Jamaica NY.When no one is taking him.Fare was $49.00 he pays me $9.80 as tips. Total $59.30 by credit card. Then went inside Report his card lost. And there goes my $59.30.I just robbed my money the white way. And you guys complaining why we refuse?
How you feel?

This is sad but how do you know if something like this is going to happen beforehand? So does that give you the right to arbitrarily refuse anyone? The solution to this problem is to print out a receipt and get the passengers signature on the receipt.

I needed a cab to Williamsburg at 4:30AM, and about 10 Cabs refused. I ended up splitting a cab with a friend of a friend. He paid $20 and I paid $20 on a $22 bill. Cash. So sometimes you win sometimes you lose, but ususally you get what you expect.

The TLC makes it as difficult as possible to file a complaint. You need
to show up in person to a hearing, which is only during business hours.
So that means taking a day off from work, just for the cabbie to be issued a official warning or a small fine. And the cabbie just has to say he denied you because you were drunk, disorderly or that he felt threatened; he’s allowed to refuse you in those situations. They’ll give the cabbie the benefit of the doubt, dismiss the complaint and you skipped work for nothing.

It’s easy to file a complaint; you just fill out the form and submit. True, if you don’t show, it gets dismissed…but the cabbie still has to show up or risk losing his license, and that is the real punnihsment. I only did this once, to someone who used a rigged meter. Had it comming to him.

The TLC makes it as difficult as possible to file a complaint. You need
to show up in person to a hearing, which is only during business hours.
So that means taking a day off from work, just for the cabbie to be issued a official warning or a small fine. And the cabbie just has to say he denied you because you were drunk, disorderly or that he felt threatened; he’s allowed to refuse you in those situations. They’ll give the cabbie the benefit of the doubt, dismiss the complaint and you skipped work for nothing.

It’s easy to file a complaint; you just fill out the form and submit. True, if you don’t show, it gets dismissed…but the cabbie still has to show up or risk losing his license, and that is the real punnihsment. I only did this once, to someone who used a rigged meter. Had it comming to him.

My sister once got in a cab. The driver did not speak to her or acknowledge her at all and was driving the wrong way. Then he drove to a strange dark area near the FDR and the UN where he got out with a rope and opened the back door reaching for her. She pushed him, jumped out the opposite side and ran away safely. Later picking him out of a police line. Another woman he assaulted also picked him. I once got in a cab with a drunk driver who brought me through the Midtown Tunnel swerving all over the place. When we got to the toll, I jumped out. He followed me until I threatened him and said I was calling the police. Another time, when my wife was pregnant, a cab driver told me we were on the West side when we were on the East side. Way East. I told him he was wrong making him very angry. He tried to kick us out so I took a picture with my phone of his license. He then grabbed my phone and tried to drive away with my pregnant wife half out, knocking her down. I yelled to the cop standing about 20 feet away and the cab driver threw my phone at me and drove away. Mostly good experiences though.

My sister once got in a cab. The driver did not speak to her or acknowledge her at all and was driving the wrong way. Then he drove to a strange dark area near the FDR and the UN where he got out with a rope and opened the back door reaching for her. She pushed him, jumped out the opposite side and ran away safely. Later picking him out of a police line. Another woman he assaulted also picked him. I once got in a cab with a drunk driver who brought me through the Midtown Tunnel swerving all over the place. When we got to the toll, I jumped out. He followed me until I threatened him and said I was calling the police. Another time, when my wife was pregnant, a cab driver told me we were on the West side when we were on the East side. Way East. I told him he was wrong making him very angry. He tried to kick us out so I took a picture with my phone of his license. He then grabbed my phone and tried to drive away with my pregnant wife half out, knocking her down. I yelled to the cop standing about 20 feet away and the cab driver threw my phone at me and drove away. Mostly good experiences though.

If a cabby refuses to take me to my destination, I ask him to take me to the nearest police station.

On the other hand, I live in Manhattan if I’m taking a taxi to Brooklyn, and I’m going at a time when there are tons of available cabs around, I will ask the driver if he wants to go to Brooklyn. If there aren’t many taxi’s around, then too bad. He’s got to take me.

If a cabby refuses to take me to my destination, I ask him to take me to the nearest police station.

On the other hand, I live in Manhattan if I’m taking a taxi to Brooklyn, and I’m going at a time when there are tons of available cabs around, I will ask the driver if he wants to go to Brooklyn. If there aren’t many taxi’s around, then too bad. He’s got to take me.